Doc D's Diary: Kindred Academics
Excerpts from the Journal of Dr. Deangelo "D" Giovanni August 14th, 1937 Graduation Day. Finally I can throw M.D. on the end of my name whenever I sign it. Doctor D, it's got a nice ring to it. Ambrose and Baldo both gave me congratulatory nuggies, and Carmine got me a gold pin with an hourglass on it. Emi and Fabe both pitched in and got me a nice lab coat, so I'm gonna do my best to keep the thing as clean as possible. Pops got a new suit tailored for me: real slick looking with a matching fedora. I look like Ambrose whenever I wear it, a real italian tough guy look! To be honest, though, I'm scared. Tonight's the night. Pops has been telling me since I was old enough to understand that the second I'm out of school he'll Embrace me. Ever since I announced I wanted to be a doctor, Pops said the Embrace would be a graduation present to me. I keep looking at that hourglass pin Carmine gave me. The hell does an hourglass have to do with being a doctor? I know about the Kindred, hell I was raised by a family of 'em, but there's still so much I don't know. Things they talk about in hushed voices, talks of trying to avoid the gaze of some fanged prince, discussions of masquerades and requiems. Only one thing is for sure: tonight my entire life changes. Tonight my true life begins. September 29th, 1952 Feastday of St. Michael the Archangel Pops has been pushing me lately to further research the Kindred condition. He may be devout Lancea Sanctum, but he's seen my apathy towards the church and he says he also sees my potential as a scientist. He's gotten a box fulla books flown in from our family in Venice and some contacts they have in Turkey. They're all medical journals by a group of scientists called the Ordo Dracul. A covenant member delivered them to me and then sat me down. Pops apparently put in a good word for me; they want me to join. Finally, something in this Requiem catches my interest! First Journal Entry After D's First Elysium Why did I say "Thank you for welcoming me to your city"? I've lived here for 102 years. I was such a chump! And damn, for a tough guy doctor I sure don't know how to talk to birds. This lady Velvet, a real dame, was introduced to me by Sara, and then all at once it became clear: Outside of a patient-doctor relationship, I've never been in a conversation alone with a woman. Everytime with Sara there's been Hounds with me. Hell, even having Earth there kept me from seeming like the bumbling idiot I was in front of her. She laughed at me, with me?, at me as I stumbled over my words in front of her. And she still asked to sit with me, some no name Night Doctor. But that's not why I was there. I was there for the Family and for Jasper. We've been allied with Jasper for seventy years now, and in our eyes that makes him as good as family. Never back-stabbing, always truthful, and always ready to elevate us to elevate him. In our line of business, all that makes him as good as cousins! Plus, being Mekhet and all, he's blood? Don't matter. He works too damn hard for what he gets, so being the guy in Chicago with the Night Doctor in his pocket has to mean something? I dunno. These politics move too slowly for me. Prince Maxwell seems like he needs to retire. The entire time he seemed to hate the fact he even had to come, and I'd much rather have a Prince who wants to be there to better the city. Then his childe was kidnapped. Everyone talks about her in condescending tones. Once we found her, I patched up her stake wounds and the Hounds took her back to Maxwell. He didn't seem super excited to see her, but I didn't exactly pay attention to him. Both he and Jasper gave us pats on the head, though Mithras is still in deep shit for breaking the Masquerade. Eh, if Maxwell tears him up I'll patch him back together. He's a good kid. A dumb one, but a good one. At least Truth is rambunctious. How old is she? When do you stop calling a person rambunctious and start calling them immature? Eh, she's cute in a little kid way. Gavriel, if I can ever pronounce his name right, may be hardcore Lancea but he doesn't let that get in the way of him being a good guy. This Sunday the family is going to church with him in Slyvia's congretation. I got to meet her, too. That was the night I had systematically gotten on the bad side on every dame I spoke to, so it was nice when she put a blessing on me without BRAINWASHING ME TO CURSE AT A MAN WHO REGULARLY ENGAGES IN RITUALISTIC SACRIFICE. While we're on the subject of the new Hounds, Mary's quite the quiet one. She loves books, she makes that painfully clear. I heard she went ape-shit on some bartender. I may be her doctor, but I don't want to have to pack everyone bloodmeals before they head out on a mission. Later Addendum: New Hound tonight: Kensey I think her name was? Crone like Truth. I'm glad Gavriel hasn't gotten too upset about the "heathens". She's pretty proud of her own physical strength, and apparently is the more literal definition of pagan. She's got some kind of British accent. Between her, me, Earth, and Gavriel, the Hounds are a goddamn rainbow of diversity. For someone as "racist" as the Mick in charge of all of us, I wonder how many Hounds were hired for affirmative action. Category:Fiction